Apparatus for grading fruits and vegetables.



PATENTED 1330: 24, 1907. R. B. 12011;. APPARATUS FOR GRADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.29,1907.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907. I a. B. PGLK.

APPARATUS FOR GRADING FRUIT$ANB VEGETABLES.

l/ vitmcoaca AIPLIOATIOH FILED APR.29,1907

2 SHEETS-BEBE! 2.

Sswcmfoz Ral BPoeir rrnn s'rnrns RALPH B. POLK, OI" GREENWOOD, INDIANA.

Speemcation of Letters resent.

' APPARATUS FOR GRADING FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.

Patented Dec. 2%, 1907.

Application filed A ri129l190'7. Serial 1%(3711810.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, KALrn-B. POLK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenwood, in the county of Johnson and State of Indians, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ap aratus for Grading Fruits and Vegetables, ot'which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce an apparatus for grading fruit, especially eas lnto different rades differinsin s)e- J r l cific gravity.

The accompanying drawings illustrate my 1 invention Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a, vertical section I on line 22 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 an end elevetion in partial vertical section, and Fig. 4 e 5 perspective detail of the tank with one end removed) and screens.

In the drawings, 10 indicates a suitable watertight tank of considerable length,

having arranged therein a main Veshaped trough 11 of e reticulated or perforated material said trough being open at one end endf having mounted in, its bottom suiteble conveyer 12, preferably of a screw type.

Arranged at the discharge end of trough 11 1 is a larger trough or chamber 13 separated from the main body of the tank bye reticu- 1 discharge end of trough 11 is an upwardly inclined partition 15 the lower edge of which lies a short distance above the conveyer 12 While the upper end lies close to the lower edge of the extension 11. Mounted in trough 13 is an endless elevator 20 provided with suitable perforated buckets 21, said:

elevator extending down into trough 13 to a point close to ts bottom. An emlless elevator 22, provided with perioreted bucl ets 22% arranged to dip into the tank at the open end of trough 11 above the bottom of l the extension 11. Mounted at the top of trough 11 is a. conveyor 25 provided at intervals with cross-paddles 26 which, on the lower side of the belt, are adapted to dip into trough 11. At the receiving end of the structure I provide a downwardly and forr wardly inclined balile 3O tosepsrote the fruit and deflect it forward as it sinks in the tank.

in operation, tank 10 is filled with a liquid of (iGSII'GCiSPQCifiG gravity, for instance a brine, the specific gravity of saidliquid heing such that peas of the desired grade wiil float therein while peas of a poorer grade will sink. The conveyors are then caused to move in the directions indicated by the arrows, and a. body of peas of ell grades dropped into the tank at the receiving end 1 thereof. The conveyer 12 serves to continually stir the mass and drive the heavier pens from trough 11 .into trough 13 while the lighter peas gradually separate from the heavier ones and rise in the liquid and driven forward by the pedals on conveyor 25. The length of-conveyer 12should be ,considerzible and the conveyer should be i driven at a comparatively slow speed so that ample time will be provided for a complete i separation of the ears. The heaviest peas vare carried direct y from trough 11 into trough 13 where they are engaged by th [buckets of elevator 20 and delivered to any desired point. The intermediate grades strike the lie-file 15 and those which are sufficiently light ai'e deflected upwardly enough to come into the eth of movement of the buckets 2 3 with t e lighter pens which are fed forward by the paddles 26, theprojection 11 preventing these lighter peas from passing into trough 13. All the peas which are not light enough, however, to rise above the lower edge of guard 11 will pass beneath said extension into the path of movement of the buckets 21.

plete and accurate separation of the fruit is attained by a continuous operation which ,1 does not injure the fruit in any manner.

' The. main tank 10 is inede of considerably greater capacity than the troughs 11 and 13 so that there may be a very-considerable volume of brine constantly av'ziilolfile, the volunie being suflicient to prevent the producment of the various conveyors in the brine. For convenience, i also support, in the tank 10, to one side of the trough 11, o reticulated salt box 30 which is sufficiently deep to extend down into the body or brine. The fresh supply of salt may be dumped into this box and serve as aieeder to maintain the brine at a desired density, the amount of salt re- By this means a corn tion of very rapid currents due to the move-* bottom of sa d tank and adapted to feed the vegetables from one end of the tank to the othe v a second conveyer arranged in the upper portion of the tank, and a pair of elevators arranged at the delivery end of the tank and adapted to remove the vegetables therefrom the deep level elevator from engaging the high level vegetables.

2. in a vegetable grader, the combination, with a tank of considerable volume, having a passage-way formed therein and. oi comparatively small volume, said passageavay having l'l'ee communication. with the main body ot a eonveyer arranged at a low level in said passage-way, a second cenveyer arranged at ahigher level in said a1ssage-\vay, a pair of ele 'ators, one projecting into said tank at a lower level than the other in position to receive vegetables from the low level eonveyer,

and a guard for prtwenting vegetables at the l of elevators, one projecting into said tank at a lower level than the other in position to receive vegetables from the low level conveyor.

' 4. In a vegetable grader, the combination, with a tank of considerable length, of a conveyer mounted in the bottom of said tank and adapted to feed the vegetables from one end of the tank to the other, means for driving said conveyor, a second conveyor arranged in the upper portion ol the tank, and

' a pair or discharging means adapted to reat ddl'erent levels, and means for preventing move the vegetables from the tank at different levels.

.3. in a vegetable grader, the eomblnation,

. with a brine tank of mnsiderable volume,

having a passage-way formed therein and of comparatively small volume, said passagehigher level from passing to the low level eonveyer.

.3. In a 'egetable grader, the combination,

tivelvsmall volume. said passage-av having i'ree L'OHUHUHH'H[loll with the main body ol the tank but eonlining vegetables thereto,

of a com eyer arranged at a low level in said passag'wnay, a serond conveyer arranged at a higher level in said passage\vay, and a pair way having free connnunicatioi'l with the main body of the tank but capable of retainoi' the tank but eonhmng vegetables thereto,

ing the vegetables, of a conveyor arranged at a low level in passage-Way, a second conveyor arranged at a higher level in said passagexvay, means for driving said onveyors in the same direction, and a Hill of elevators, one projecting into said tank at a lower level than the other in :osition to receive vegetables from the low level conveyor while the other of said elevators receives vegetables from the high level conveyer.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this twenty-seventh day of April, A. 1). one thousand nine hundred and seven RALPH B. POLK. [L. s.]

Witnesses: V

Airmen M. Hoon, 'lnonas W. McMnAvs. 

